How is this a meme?

It was wrong and it should be not wrong. Odd that that is a controversial statement and that you used Reddit-level reasoning about a dissertation when someone just wants others to not spread untruths.

I am genuinely disappointed that on an ostensibly science-related message board I see comments along the lines “this isn’t actually true, but it kinda-sorta is, therefore, inaccurate claims somehow aren’t misinformation”. If all kinds of counter-factual things were true, then all kinds of things would be true: what is the point of this hand-waving to defend something that is riddled with untruths? Also, with whom did he purportedly share these documents? In 22 words, this person got no fewer than two things wrong and you are carrying water for what reason?

So?

It is not true that he was sentenced to 35 years in prison by US authorities for transferring and sharing scientific articles from JSTOR. It is true that he killed himself.

Please don’t spread misinformation.

Edit: Why is anyone downvoting this? The text is inaccurate and should not be posted.

No one said that it is all like that, but enough of /b/ is so gross as to taint the reputation of the entire site. Allowing some of the stuff that is on there is enough guilt by association, even if some of the other boards have better discourse.

There are already comments claiming this, thanks.

Except when it was on 4chan and it was actual Nazis just being Nazis. So no, not blatantly sarcasm.

I only know it as “I approve of this”, not “lol, I don’t approve of this, but I say I am to be hilarious”. This is the danger of adopting this Nazi Internetspeak to be funny.

There’s no reason to be rude. See Rule 1.

“Based”?

Admirable; praiseworthy, especially if the thing that is considered “praiseworthy” is unpopular or controversial.